Lunch Report - Wednesday March 9th

[SouthpawGuy]

Hi all and welcome to Wednesdays lunch report.

Lunch:

Well after yesterdays lapse today I went for the healthy option, I had a salad roll from the local deli with slices of baked ham and some tomato, peppers and sweetcorn with cheese on top in a nice fresh crispy bread roll, very tasty. Washed down with some sparkling water.

G&L Question : Well so far this week I've had questions about finishes and pickups, real nuts and bolts stuff. Todays question is about the company itself.

How important is it to you as a G&L fan to know and understand the companys' heritage ?

Is a G&L just another guitar to you or do you really appreciate the history behind the guitars and the company ?

Maybe it's a bit of both ? For me as a long time Strat player my first introduction to G&L was greatly influenced by the fact that Leo Fender was one of the primary driving forces behind the company, the guitars themselves were an unknown quantity. That was about three years ago now, and today with quite a few G&L guitars I can say that the guitars themselves are the stars, and Leo's involvement is an added but very important factor.

btw I probably won't be shocked by the answers to the poll !


Non G&L Question :

What's your favourite Beatles song ? If there is such a thing as a favourite, they had so many great songs. I wouldn't call myself a fanatical Beatles fan by any means but this morning I woke up with this one playing in my head ...

[youtube]suuU3mliNo8[/youtube]

I haven't heard that song in a while, so I have no idea why it would be running around in my head.

Care to share why your current Beatles favourite is so ? Maybe it's the lyrics, or the way the chords work together or perhaps it's the guitar hook courtesy of George, although Paul or John sometimes contributed nifty guitar lines.For me with "In My Life" it's the harmonies, even if there was no music present the vocals would still send shivers through me, simply amazing.

Post a YouTube link here if you like, for all to enjoy.

G&L pic of the day.

ASAT Special in red burst...



Thanks for any and all input guys.

Paul

[Philby]

That is a really sweet Special Paul.

G&L Question: I had 2 G&L's in the herd before I even realised that the L stood for Leo. That was the eureka moment when I realised why they were such fine guitars. The Master had designed them. Since then I've become more interested in the G&L company history, but for me it's all about how the instruments feel in the hand that counts.

Non G&L Question: I was a serious Beatles nut in my teens and knew every detail about every song ever released. I've recently found myself re-exploring the catalogue care of the re-masters that came out in 2009. There is so much to enjoy about the Beatles music - from the brilliance of the songs themselves, to the ingenuity of the arrangements, and the innovative production techniques. 'In My Life' is a great, great song, one of my top 5 I reckon. My current fave is an unusual choice for me. It is not from my favourite period (post 1966) nor is it written and sung by my favourite Beatle (John). But I consider it a pop music masterpiece due to the sheer density of ideas crammed into 2 short minutes. Love the 3/4 time signature changes. There is no fat on this one!

The exuberance and urgency of the performance is contagious too.

[youtube]eN-Ee7uXKYo[/youtube]

[Boogie Bill]

I forgot the sausage question yesterday--and I love them. Had spaghetti the other night, and added some whole grilled Johnsonville Mild Italian sausages to it,,,YUM! We have a local brand called Zenner's and their Franks, Bockwurst and German sausages are really good. Bockwurst is a long time favorite, with a little sourkraut and some Gulden's Spicy Brown mustard.

I've been a Fender guy since I began playing the guitar. Spent a lot of hours as a teenager (and my entire adult life!) drooling over Fender catalogues. I started on a Stella tenor guitar, moved to a Lyle classic; but the first electric was a c. 1900 Duo-Sonic. Over the years I had a 1969 Tele Thinline, 1960 Strat, the two Music Man Sabre IIs, and now a collection of 16 G&Ls. I definelty prefer the Legacy-bodied guitars, but I do have a lonely ASAT Deluxe that doesn't see much action. I've dabbled with a few Gibsons over the years, but I always seem to come back to the Fender designs. Even now, with ten Les Pauls and a a 335; plus four guitars that could be considered Gibson clones, I consider a Legacy my Number ONE guitar. I typically only do about 12-14 songs a night with a Gibson. I really have to work at playing the Gibsons, the Legacy-bodies just feel so much more natural.

So, as much as I am a fan of Leo's and his G&Ls, if the guitars weren't good, I'd be playing something else--but that guitar would still be a Fender-based design.

Got too many favorite Beatle songs to list. Just not possible to list just one. But okay, here's a short list, in no particular order:

I Saw Her Standing There
Taxman
Nowhere Man
I'm A Loser
She Loves You
Paperback Writer
Day Tripper
Ticket To Ride
And I Love Her
Come Together
All You Need Is Love
Ob-La-Di
Get Back
Back In the USSR
Getting Better

There, a quick list of 15--without a second to stop and think--and there are so many more.

I should add that i have sung 'In My Life" at three weddings over the years. Great song, and totally appropriate.

One of my most memorable experiences though, was closing out the night in a packed club by playing "Hey Jude". It probably went close to ten minutes long, with the dance floor packed. And finally the dancing stopped, the lighters came out and we had everyone singing along, including the bartenders and wait-staff. Could not have been a better concert moment for a musician than if it had happened in Carnegie Hall. Absolutely powerful, and a totally addictive feeling.

We got so many compliments as we stepped off the stage. What was particularly satisfying was not just the compliments about my singing or my guitar-playing--but people just said, "We had a GREAT time tonigh!"

And 10 minutes later, the club was virually empty; and that had to be one of the loneliest moments of life--all those people, and then POOF! Nothing. It was a very, very strange feeling.

So maybe "Hey Jude" should be at the top of that list.

Bill

[astutzmann]

I am sooo envious of your collection, what great taste you have.

I bought my Bluesboy based on being told that they had a great product and that the company was Leo's passion, after he sold Fender.......

SO, the heritage of the company and the compliment on the product is what sold me. Being a leftie, I couldnt try one so went on word of mouth.

What's more important to me now, if I am to buy more product, is the strategy of the company going forward.

That's why (from what I hear), I would not buy a new Gibson these days.


About 10 years ago, I bought a very unique house and fixed it up. THree years ago when we sold it, I create a video of the home with pictures and the background music was In My Life,
....there are places I remember, all my life.......

So, there are so many Beatles songs I love, the early ones more than the later ones.....One of the first songs I learned to play on guitar is I Want to Hold Your Hand and I still play it everyday when I practice.....so simple its amazing.

[darwinohm]

Paul, as usual, the guitar pic is outstanding. I think it has the natural binding but my eyes are like everything else on the bodies of guys my age.

Great question on guitar or company. I traded a Fender Tele for my first Legacy Hss. I wanted to try something different and I knew about Leo and G&L, however much less about G&L. The body wood and workmanship of this Legacy was outstanding. I own many Fenders and this Legacy did things better than most of the Fenders. This is when I found the G&L web site and started doing a fair amount of research. One thing I have discovered about G&L is that they are a small company and are tuned into their customers. Look at the questions that are addressed on this board by G&L. It took a while before I found this forum but it is like no other. So the company is a class act in my opinion and the product is outstanding, especially for the money if you find pristine used guitars. I will continue to own some Fenders as they do hold some investment value. But there are more G&Ls on the horizon in addition to the 11 that I already have.

When I first heard the Beatles in 1964 I was a gigging musician. I could not understand why they were so popular out of the gate. I didn't take long and I knew. They were extremely creative and every new some sounded like a new band. They were awesome and I love many of their songs. It was quite a change for those of us who grew up on Buddy Holly, Rick Nelson and the Beach Boys. I am still that same old rut but it works for me. there is very little that I listen to from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. I think the worst for me was Disco and even today, there is no new country that I really care for. Keep it up Paul and give Molly a hug.-- Darwin.

[zapcosongs]

Another amazing Lefty. Duh. Winning!!!! ;+)

Favorite Beatles song - very tough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifp_SVrlurY

btw, I think Prince may be the most under-rated guitarist on the planet. Seriously. I don't want to like him, actually. Still.....

G&L Question: I bought my first G&L kind of by accident, not knowing the history of the company. It was a BBE-era ASAT Special. I liked it a ton, did some research, and had to have more.

Great week going here, Paul. Thanks! - ed

[Kit]

I know G&L are great guitars, but to know the back story of Leo Fender, George and others in the development of the company gives me the understanding how these guitars got be the great guitars they are. But the bottom line is that I like my G&Ls because of how they play and sound, and that every piece of hardware is constructed to allow the guitar to sound good, easy to adjust and maintain, and stay in tune.

I've been a Beatles fan since day 1, and the over the years I have fiddled with many of their songs, but mostly just strumming the chords and singing along. Occasionally I would pick a song to really figure out what is going on with it, and it never fails to amaze me what genius construction the tunes contain. I recently decided to figure out the little riffs that goes on in "Drive My Car," and it is just amazing how many variations of little riffs are happening in a 2 and a half minute song. Other songs that I play pretty regularly recently are "Help," "Day Tripper," "I Want You," and the outro from "The End." In my hobby band we play "Come Together" and "Hey Bulldog." (very typical cool solo from John in this one)

Kit

[LouL]

G&L Question: About a year ago I was in a local store when the salesman pulled a new Legacy off the wall and plugged it in for me to try. I had never heard of G&L, let alone knew that it stood for George and Leo. Once I tried the guitar and decided that at some point one would join my collection, I started doing some research on them and realized what it stood for. I think the history of the company is interesting, but to me, the guitars are what are important.

Non G&L Question: I'm sure this is going to get me in trouble, but I was never much of a Beatles fan as a kid. Before people want my membership revoked, let me say, growing up when I heard the Beatles, I always thought of the song Yellow Submarine, which still makes me want to stab my eyes out. However, a few years ago, my brother in law gave me a mix tape of their stuff and I listened again. I have a new respect for what they did and have been listening to them a lot lately. At this point, I would have to say my favorite song is Come Together, but that's probably because I was able to figure it out and play it.

[zapcosongs]

Yo Lou. Yellow Submarine is probably my least favorite Beatles song. In fact, I've go one of my eyes here hanging by just an optic nerve.
Nevertheless, the older I get, the more I realize that they were/are probably the best ever. - ed

[blargfromouterspace]

I don't think G&L would be such a good manufacturer if it wasn't for its history.

I've never really liked the Beatles (*dodges bullet*) and can't say I have a favourite song.

I'm loving the fourth option on your polls, Paul. I chuckle at every one of them! And you have great taste in guitars!

[guitar_ed]

To a degree, the heritage of G&L is important. But if G&L did not make good sounding guitars, did not make guitars that were structurally sound, I would not purchase them. And with out their heritage, I might have been hesitant to purchase the first one. But having done so, I would probably have purchased more. And if G&L were not the kind of company that it is, very supportive of its customers, I would not have purchased the WAY too many that I have.

edg

[sam]

Great stuff this week Paul.

G&L Question :
How important is it to you as a G&L fan to know and understand the companys' heritage?
Is a G&L just another guitar to you or do you really appreciate the history behind the guitars and the company ?
G&L history was the first thing that got me interested in G&L. Somewhere in the guitar rags I heard about Leo's new company, and being a lover of telecasters and Fender guitars from a young age I had to see what Leo had up his sleeve this time. Knowing the timeline of tele versions compared with Leo pickups is an incredible transformation that become G&L and MFD's for me. Someone not knowing or even caring to know the history will not keep them from loving G&L guitars.

Non G&L Question :
What's your favourite Beatles song?
Only ONE?!? I have been a Beatle fan since about the age of four. First record was a VeeJay 45 of I Want To Hold Your Hand given to me by my cousin. Since then it was Beatles and Beatle solo stuff up to today. Lately I've had the Golden Slumbers - Carry That Weight - The End in my head (don't know why)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xJlkrI3 ... detailpage

But this one always stays with me for George's intro and it's just a cool song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwmtNk_Y ... detailpage

Nice ASAT!

[sirmyghin]

I play G&L as they are rock solid axes. No other reason. I don't care if a company has a great history, used to be awesome, has a big name or what have you. They have to have a killer axe.


Favourite Beatles song? I'll bite, Maxwell's Silver Hammer.. (no clue why, it is catchy I guess).